Image by juicyrai
Today I discovered a subculture of people, the bookstore freeloaders. I sat in my local Borders coffee shop, ordered a tea, and read a magazine. Every table was taken with people who ordered a coffee a to justify their presence and used the bookstore as their personal free library.
Why not the library
Obviously, it is more fun to read in the bookstore sipping on a latte and browsing the magazine section for new hairstyles than going to the library, where they outlaw food and talk. The convenience of the shopping mall with its food court and children playground makes this the ideal library.
Proficient bookstore rats arrive early to snatch tables with power outlets. Plugging in their laptops they proceed to raid the bookstore for goodies to support their studies and they order just enough coffee or cheap water to be able to stay.
I tried to sit some of these people out, but after I read several magazines and ordered a few more coffee, I got tired. As I left, most of them still sat in their chairs. I bet they are still sitting there as I write this.
The regulars
What surprises me the most is that most of my fellow bookstore coffee shop freeloaders seem to be regulars.
This tells me that they are regulars. They prowl around the few empty tables as if it was a game of musical chairs and as soon as a spot opens up, they claw it for themselves. Normal people stand no chance to get in, unless they are as careless as I am.
Once they have secured a working place, they flip open their books somewhere in the middle and start reading. Apparently, the regulars are already familiar with their books and have come here often enough to know their book. It surprises me that they are not willing to drop the $15 it takes to walk home with their very own copy of “Losing my religion” or “The old man and the sea”.
Students
Students come here too. They look busy scribbling on paper or laptops with a book on the table. I assume their roommates are throwing a party and the students are trying to escape the noise. Who can blame them, but even the public library offers more books for them, a quieter environment and no coffee sales pressure.
Casual readers
Those are people like me. We sit here to pass time while our significant other shops, or to pick the right book out of a sea of related books.
Who are you? Are you a bookstore freeloader too?
